Emergent
by let.the.cards.fall
Summary: After the war, a new president rises and creates the factions again. But with increased security and "suicides" every day, the population gets narrower and narrower. With the help of Tobias, Shauna, and Zeke, the Divergent mange to stay hidden, but how long will that last? Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the characters I created.
1. Chapter 1

I laid in the bed in the apartment my father owns. It wasn't big for a presidential mansion, since my father is president of Dauntless, one of the five factions that makes up Chicago.

The government had changed a lot since the rebellion my father, Tobias Eaton, had lead alongside Tris Prior, who died. Tris' brother, Caleb Prior, was currently the president of Abnegation, another faction within Chicago.

My mother, Cara Status, was the president of Erudite, the main government faction. Erudite produces the smart minds that help create inventions and medicines and things of that category. Most of the presidents come from Erudite, because they are the smartest. Most Dauntless are arrogant. But not all of them.

The president of Candor, another faction, was Zhang Young. Candor produces judges. Because Candor is in possession of the truth serum, they administer it to the worst cases. Candor are terrible liars, so they never have to use it on their own kind.

The president of Amity, the final of the five factions, was Nathaniel Adams. Nathaniel always keeps his faction out of everything concerning violence. That makes sense, because Amity's values are peace, harmony, and butterflies. Amity produces the farmers that harvest fresh genetically engineered crops. In return for a higher status in government, Amity agreed to try a new experiment with crops. The Erudite genetically produced the seeds, and the Amity grow them. The experiment seems to be working so far.

The president of Chicago and all five factions was Max. Max was a former Dauntless leader. He began to conspire with Jeanine Matthews in an attack on Abnegation using the Dauntless as soldiers put under a simulation. He was later confirmed a traitor by the factionless, and was helped by Peter Hayes, a former Erudite, to escape the clutches of the factionless, who were supposed to kill him. Peter was later appointed Max's secretary. Max rose to power by destroying the Bureau of Genetic Welfare that was outside Chicago, forcing everyone back into the city and closing the gates, permanently.

I only have a few friends. Sophia, Dustin, Blaze, and Jax. We were all born and raised Dauntless.

Jax and Blaze are the wild ones. They are the most daredevil. They even once ate a cockroach whole!

Dustin is the lone wolf. Dustin likes to conquest things on his own so he can take the credit afterwards.

Dad had told me things about the Divergent. He told me that him and Tris Prior had been hunted down and almost killed because she was Divergent. He took me through his fear landscape and taught me how to face my fears so they would never discover me. I'm ready.

The presidents of the individual factions could create laws, but the laws need to be passed by the six congressmen he or she appointed when they started their term.

I rolled over onto my side, and am startled when Max's face appears on all of the screens in the presidential suite.

"Faction presidents of Chicago. I am calling an emergency meeting. If you do not show up, you will be evicted. I'm talking to you, Four." Max says.

Tobias groans in his bedroom.

"Not this again!" he says as he throws his black clothing on: a black collared shirt, black blazer, black pants, a black tie, black dress shoes, and a black trilby hat. Dauntless wear all black. It is standard dress code.

Tobias had been given the nickname Four when he was an initiate at Dauntless, in reference to how many fears he had.

"Sorry dad-sir," I said, correcting myself. Tobias had always been strict with me.

"Aaron, If I'm not back in time for dinner-which I won't be-go on a date with that girlfriend of yours," said Tobias, grabbing and twisting the doorknob.

"I don't have a-" I was cut off by the slam of the door.

"So, Aaron. Another emergency meeting?" asked Sophia.

"Yep. I guess it's just you and me again tonight Soph."

We made their way up to the training room. The aptitude test was the next day. Tobias had already prepared me for the test, but I still felt unprepared.

We threw knives to pass the time.

"I dare you to stand in front of my target," I said plainly.

"For what? A drink of that liquor you have in your shirt pocket?"

She had an incredible eye. Just one of the many incredible things about her. I started to doze off, looking at her like I was drunk.

"I don't want you to throw knives at me if you're drunk!" she scoffed, power filling her voice as it always did.

"Why not?"

Sophia stood in front of the target. I readied three knives. The first one hit just to the right of her head. The second to the left of her right leg. The third, however, nicked her ear.

"Hey! What was that about?" she demanded as I threw her the flask of liquor. She took a sip.

"Sorry. Didn't mean it."

"Well you'll be able to remember this event for you whole life, Ace."

"Ace? Is that a nickname?"

"Yup!"

I had dinner with the Pedrads. Sophia's parents were Zeke and Shauna. They had been in love since they were initiates. It was common for initiates who met and connected to stay together for life.

"Thanks again. Another emergency meeting. He couldn't miss this one or they would kick him out."

"No problem," said Zeke.

It had been rough for Zeke. His younger brother Uriah had died in an explosion that started the attack in the Bureau of Genetic Welfare. For a while, he didn't talk much at all until he rode the zip line and got his Dauntless spirit back. Now, he's the crazy daredevil Tobias knows from initiation.

Sophia's mom, Shauna, was a congresswoman, or whatever you call them. That was the only reason I was allowed to hang with Soph.

"Can we head out?" Sophia asks Zeke, giving him a wink. He grinned like an idiot and nodded fast.

Sophia dragged me out of their apartment and down to the chasm. The chasm was the most dangerous spot to be. When I stopped walking because it was the most popular spot and I suspected that she would stop too, she kept going. She lead me down through a hidden door and onto a flat rock perfect for two. We sit and let the waves from the river in the chasm soak our shoes.

I took out the flask of liquor I stole from my father. He had seen me that time, but pretended not to notice. Sometimes he let me have a bit of fun.

"Mom, dad and Four used to come down here a lot," she said, "I thought it would be fitting to show it to you."

I nodded and took a sip. The alcohol tasted bitter. I thought about what my father had told me about the chasm, The chasm creates the fine line between bravery and idiocy. Don't mistake one for the other. An experienced one, my father was. He knew the curves and bumps of everything in the Dauntless compound. I stared out into the darkness of the chasm, wondering what was down there, what deeper secrets it had to hide.

"So, what faction would you choose if you couldn't choose Dauntless?" I asked her.

"Amity."

"What? Amity?" I asked astonished. Amity? The peaceful faction with smiling freaks and wheat fields that stretch for miles?

"Sometimes I need a break from all the chaos and drunk people," she said with a laugh.

My father needed a break too. He worked his tail off, and never had time for me unless it was about the aptitude test. I sighed. I didn't have any memories of anything like knife throwing or zip lining with him unlike other Dauntless children.

"Would you freak out if I kissed you?" she asked, yanking me off my train of thought.

"No."

And then she leaned in and kissed me. I embraced her, wrapping my arms around her neck, sliding them down her back, feeling every moment of the kiss through my veins. What would I tell Tobias? What if she chooses a different faction? She slowly pulled away.

"Aptitude test tomorrow. You ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

And then I leaned in and kissed her again.


	2. Chapter 2

"What's Eaton ya, Ace?"

Dustin, Blaze, Jax, Sophia and I were sitting at one of the tables in the mess. It was the morning of the aptitude test. I was sitting next to Sophia on the other side of the table, trying to slow my heartbeat so she wouldn't notice.

My father is going to be at the test, part of me thought.

"You know, I'm not really thrilled about going to Erudite today, Blaze," I lied curtly.

He just laughed. I stared at my plate. Sophia met my eyes, and we smiled. I guess some could have their secrets.

"Oh, you two are in love," sneered Jax.

"No we are not!" exclaimed Sophia, slamming her hands down on the table to make the plates jump.

"Oh! Even playing the denial card! Interesting…" said Dustin. Sophia reached her hand over the table and was about to slap his face when I yanked her backwards.

"Fine, fine, I'll back off," they said.

I shook my head. "Let's get out of here Soph," I said to her.

"You nervous?" she asked me down in the chasm.

"Hell yeah! I have no idea what to expect!" I lied.

She looked into my eyes and said, "That was a lie, Ace."

How did she know that? I thought.

"I know you are Divergent," she continued, "I know yoou are Divergent because every time you are with your father he lectures you just beyond the reach of everyone's ears. He'll protect you in Dauntless. But you'll be free everywhere else.

"I'm going to transfer to Amity."

"What? You can't leave me here!"

She took a big breath and said, "You can't stop me."

The entire train ride to Erudite I sat with my elbows on my knees with my face in my hands. How could she leave after last night? I thought. I shook my head. I got dumped by a girl just as quickly as I gained one. How could she leave-

My thoughts were interrupted by a shout-"We're here!"

I immediately stood up. Finally, I thought.

I looked out the car and saw the Dauntless in the first car were jumping. Then the next, then the next, and finally it was our turn. The Dauntless closest to the door let out a bloodcurdling yell and launched himself off the train. The others, including me somewhere in the middle, followed not far behind.

I had always loved jumping off trains. I felt free, alive. But that time was different. I landed with a thud on the ground, my head hitting the pavement. I could roll out of a jump, but somehow I didn't. My head throbbed, and I stood up, shaking.

My mother stood waiting at the entrance to Erudite Headquarters. The rest of the Dauntless, wild and crazy, rushed passed her, some brushing her sides and laughing. I pulled through the crowd and finally reached her.

"Hey mom," I said quietly, a little embarrassed.

"Hi Aaro-" I stopped her.

"It's Ace, my Dauntless nickname," I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh. Glad you found a home without me."

I shook my head and brushed passed her, fighting my way through the crowd to my friends.

The factions were lead to the labs in Erudite Headquarters. There were tables lining the walls. On the right side of the labs was a hallway leading to the Aptitude test rooms.

The Erudite had their noses stuck in books, talking about the numbers and the science of the test.

The Dauntless sat on top of the tables, teasing the Abnegations who took everything seriously.

The Candor were over in the corner of the room, pointing, whispering, and gossiping about the Amity who had brought a jar of butterflies and seemed mesmerized by them.

The hours passed by. One by one my friends were called to go test, and each came out horrified, not speaking. Finally my name was called.

"Aaron Eaton, please report to test room 3a," said the PA system.

"Good luck in there," said Dustin.

"Yeah. It's a hell house in there," added Jax, looking at his trembling hands.

"Thanks for the encouraging note, Jax," I said as I walked toward the hallway.

I arrived in test room 3a to find an Erudite woman in it.

"Hello," she said politely.

"Can we just get this over with," I said curtly.

"Alright," she said, as she handed me a glass with blue liquid in it, just as my father had said would happen.

I sat back in the chair that stood in the middle of the room and drained the glass.

"Good luck," I heard the Erudite say before I drifted from the world.

I awoke in a room full of mirrors. "Choose," I heard a voice say. Two bowls appeared in front of me. One had a chunk of meat in it and the other had a knife in it.

"Why?" I asked.

"Choose before it's too late."

That was easy, knife for sure. After all, my nickname was Ace.

The room shifted as soon as I picked up the knife. I was now in a long hallway, and a dog stood at the end of it. Before I had time to gather my surroundings, it began to run toward me. The dog's eyes were wild, he looked ready to kill. I jumped out of the way as its jaws snapped shut, nearly missing my arm. I gripped the knife tightly, holding it out in front of me, pointed at the dog. The dog bared its teeth, but then sat down, smiling and wagging its tail.

"Puppy!" I heard a voice say excitedly behind me.

Oh no.

The Abnegation girl stood at the end of the hallway. She was probably 8, young and beautiful. Suddenly her face changed, and she looked like Sophia, 16, brave, and beautiful.

The dog ran after the Abnegation Sophia.

"Sophia! No!" I screamed.

I tried to throw the knife at the dog, but the knife bounced off. I ran faster, and launched myself between the dog and Sophia, screaming her name, bracing myself for the feeling of the dog's jaws snapping shut, but then the room changed.

I was on a bus. The bus was old and rusty. It had an unpleasant feel. The Hub appeared in front of me.

I recognized the route it was taking, the Abnegation route. My father had gotten me so familiar with every faction, every part of the city as if he was preparing for war. Maybe he was.

The man in front of me was reading a newspaper.

"Do you know this man?" he asked, pointing to the man on the front of the newspaper.

I studied the front of the newspaper. The man looked somewhat familiar. I combed through my memory, but found nothing. I wanted to say yes, but the man looked untrustworthy.

"No," I lied. Lying was easy. I definitely didn't belong in Candor.

"I think you're lying," sneered the man, "You know him?"

"No!" I insisted. I sounded even more forceful.

"I think you know him," he said, lunging at me. He got my throat. I choked. He glared daggers at me. He pulled out a knife.

"I don't know! I promise!" I screamed. And then everything vanished.

I awoke in the testing room.

"Dauntless. Like the other 95%, you got your original faction. You were close to getting Abnegation after saving that girl, but Dauntless," she said.

I gripped the sides of the chair, looking for stability but finding none. My breaths were short: I was scared. Scared I would lose her.

"Thanks. C-C-C Can I go?" I asked shakily.

She waved me off and I made my way to the waiting room.

"Hell house wasn't even close to how awful I would describe that test," I told Jax, Dustin, and Blaze.

"Who did the Abnegation girl turn into for you, Ace?" asked Jax.

Sophia, I thought but didn't say.

"You know, we aren't really s'posed to talk about it," I said, tapping my fingers nervously on the table.

"Fine."

"Who was yours?" I asked him.

"My sister Abigail," Jax replied, looking at his feet.

"My mother," Blaze admitted.

"You," said a voice to me from across the room. Sophia.

The silent crowd made a path for Sophia. She walked over to me.

"You," she said again, "It was always you from the beginning."

I looked at her but said nothing.

"It was always you, no matter how hard I tried to tell myself it was Amity, it was you."

I stared at her in disbelief.A part of me said, Finally! She made the right decision.

"Well, say something!" she demanded.

I couldn't move. She chose me.

She chose me.


	3. Chapter 3

I slipped through the apartment door. My father was working at the table. I hoped that if I was quiet enough, he wouldn't notice me. But he did.

"How did the test go?" he asked me without looking up.

"Fine. Dauntless, as expected," I told him. I was still shaking.

He stood up and looked at me, hard.

"Were you afraid?" he said. He saw the look in my eyes: terrified.

"I was afraid," I said, pinching myself to contain it, but it came out anyway, "I was afraid of losing her."

"What?" he said, slamming his hands down on the table, "You what?"

"She was going to transfer to Amity, and I panicked, and I didn't tell you…"

His hard expression softened. He looked like the father I should've had.

"I was scared too. Scared they would discover me. My father made me...made me get Abnegation. He whipped me until I...until I cooperated with his measures," he said.

"I was afraid of Marcus."

He took off his shirt to reveal hundreds of lines carved down his back. Scars. Scars of the past.

I hugged him. The bit of Abnegation left in him hesitated, but then embraced it. I breathed the first breath of relief since before the test.

"I don't think it's much of a decision. Go hang out with your friends," Tobias told me. I raced toward the door, feeling happier than ever.

"Hey! Wait up!" I called after my friends.

We were racing down to the chasm. I felt wild and free, relieved that I had found a true home in Dauntless.

We arrived down at the same spot Sophia took me to before. We laughed and smiled.

"Dauntless forever?" Jax asked.

"Dauntless forever!" I finished.

We cheered. I was relieved.

"Get up, will ya?"

I woke up in the chasm. I was drunk last night and must have finally collapsed.

"Choosing ceremony's today, Big Dawg!" Jax said to Dustin.

Jax kicked me in the side and I groaned.

"Fine fine," I said.

We all made our way back to our apartments. I put on a black leather jacket and black ripped jeans. My father had a black blazer on with black dress shoes and black pants. Presidential outfit.

All of the Dauntless made their way to the late, I liked to call it. We jumped on the train. My father was in the car next to me.

I was in the car with all of the 16 year olds. It was silent the entire ride to the Hub.

We finally arrived at the Hub. We jumped. The older Dauntless cheered. I was silent.

We ran passed the Amity into the line and threw the doors open. We ran, jumping over the seats, standing on the chairs. I felt nervous, unlike the other times I had run. I knew what I was going to choose, but it didn't feel right. My father looked at me as I sat down and made a small gesture to his back. You can choose your future, he seemed to say, choose right.

"Hello, and welcome to this years choosing ceremony!" Max bombed. The Abnegation clapped respectfully and the Dauntless whooped and hollered until their throats were raw.

The faction presidents gave some introductory speeches that I didn't pay attention to until the Amity president said, "It is now time to choose your faction!"

I sat up straight and waited.

Dauntless went first. My father stepped up to the stage and announced the names, one by one.

"Dustin Agar," Tobias said.

He walked up Tobias, grabbed the knife, and cut his hand. He walked over to the Dauntless bowl and let his blood drip. The Dauntless cheered. He smiled as he walked back to his seat.

"Jax Dopramo."

Dustin pats him on the back and smiles as he sprints up to the stage. Ignoring the knife that was held out to him, he bites his own skin and let's the blood fall into the Dauntless bowl. The Dauntless go nuts. He rips his shirt and wraps the cloth around his hand that is gushing blood.

"Brady Rado."

Blaze.

Blaze grabbed the knife, a bit unnatural. He had never been good with weapons. He took a deep breath. He walked over to the Erudite bowl.

"The future belongs to those who know," he said, "I want to know."

His blood dripped into the Erudite water, turning it red. The Dauntless were silent. The Erudite clapped politely.

"Sophia Pedrad."

My heart beat fast. She slowly walked up to Tobias. Tobias gave her a look that said, stay for him, stay for him. I could almost hear what she was thinking, stay or go?

She cut herself with the knife. Her eyes darted between the Amity and Dauntless bowls. She bit her lip and walked over to the Dauntless bowl. She held her hand out in front of the Dauntless bowl, but just as the blood was about to drip, she mover her arm over to the Abnegation bowl and let the blood fall.

"No!" I screamed.

I shook with rage, fear, and sadness as I looked over at Zeke. He was with Shauna, staring at their daughter in shock. She slowly walked to the Abnegation without looking at me.

"Aaron Eaton."

I shivered at the sound of my full name. I looked over at Sophia. She looked straight ahead, not looking at anything. She definitely wasn't going to meet my eyes.

I looked at Max. He was in front of me, holding the knife out, a sly smile on his face as if he knew my life had just fallen apart. I grabbed the knife from him, my dark expression unchanged. I cut my skin. Should I join Abnegation for her and leave my father? Should I stay? I didn't know. I walked over to the Dauntless bowl. I looked back at Sophia, tears filling my eyes. She couldn't meet my gaze. I looked back at my hand and let my blood fall onto the coals. I felt the steam from the fire rise up in me, filling every part of me as the Dauntless cheered.

I was home.

She was free.

All of the other factions went. One by one, people cut their hand with the knife. By the end of the Choosing Ceremony, five smartass Erudite, two loudmouth Candor, and three Abnegation had transferred to Dauntless. As the Dauntless ran out of the building, I looked for Sophia but never saw her.

We climbed to the train tracks.

"Okay, initiates. This is your first test. Those who can't get on the train are out," my father said as he ran his fingers across his throat.

"How do we get on?" asked one of the Abnegation transfers.

"We jump," I said with a smirk.

The train came around the corner. My father pointed to the sky, signaling for the train to not slow down fully. A challenge for the initiates. I looked over at him. He felt empty, as if his body was hollow, as if a piece of him was missing that could never be found again.. He missed her.

He thought about her in that moment, as he did every year.

The Dauntless ran with the train. The initiates, confused, waited a moment before they realized what jump meant.

I swung myself into the third car with all of the other initiates. The transfers watched us in awe. The Candor and Abnegation got the hang of it, but some of the Erudite were struggling. I sighed. The Abnegation my father passed down to me reacted, and I stretched out my hand to one of them.

"Give me your hand!" I yelled at the boy.

He reached out. The tunnel was coming fast. I reached further. His sweaty hand grabbed mine, and I yanked him into the car. The Erudite boy said nothing.

"Shit, I almost lost my arm for you and you don't give a damn about it!" I demanded. The Dauntless around me snickered at the Erudite.

"I'm quite sorry, and quite offended by your use of language!" the Erudite boy exclaimed. Now the Dauntless were laughing. I Laughed with them.

"Well, I guess I won't be staying long," he said, brushing off his blazer.

"Good luck being Factionless!" I said, and turned to the friends I had left.

The train ride to Dauntless HQ was short. We rounded the corner, and the building appeared in sight. The landing platform. All new initiates were expected to jump and land on the platform. As soon as the first car jumped, I sneered at the Erudite that had mouthed off.

"They're-jumping?" he asked in astonishment.

I snorted.

"Hell yeah!" I said, and put my arm around my friends.

I had jumped this before. It was second nature to roll out of the jump onto the gravel. But I had never done it without Sophia. A lump formed in my throat as Jax said, "Together!"

"One," I said shakily.

"Two," Dustin said.

"Three!" Jax finished.

Without another glance back at the Erudite boy, I launched myself out of the car. I whooped as I rolled out of the jump and appeared right behind my father who was making his way up to the front. I was eager to be the first jumper, thought I had jumped it so many times before.

"The next test and the way into Dauntless is beyond this ledge," my father said.

"Wait, you have to jump?" a Candor questioned.

My father ignored the remark and kept going.

"Being the first jumper is a huge honor. Do we have any volunteers?"

My hand shot straight up as I said, "I'll go."

The Dauntless cheered as I stepped onto the ledge. My father raised his eyebrows at me. I shook my hands out.

I looked down. I knew there was a net at the bottom, but the hole looked smaller and darker than usual. You're being silly, Aaron. Just jump, I told myself. I took a deep breath and jumped off the ledge. I looked down and was afraid that I had overshot it, but seconds later I felt the net hit my back.

"Welcome back," said a female voice. She could see my black clothing.

She lowered the net.

"What's your name?" she asked me.

I knew the drill. I could pick a nickname if I wanted to. I had thought about it during the Choosing Ceremony.

"Ace," I said.

"Ace, first jumper!" the Dauntless woman said.

I whooped, and my friends looked over the edge. I waved at them, feeling the dry blood on my hand from the knife.

The nickname wasn't just to remind me of the knife. It was to remind me of her.


	4. Chapter 4

"My name is Reyna, and I will be the transfer instructor," the Dauntless woman said after all of the initiates ha jumped. My father was leaning against the wall. He was usually the transfer instructor. Most of their presidents wouldn't want to be an instructor, but Tobias said he liked it.

"I will be the Dauntless-born instructor this year. We decided to change it up," my father said. "Shauna will be looking over both groups and helping this year."

I looked over at Shauna. She couldn't quite meet my eyes. Where is my daughter? I could picture her thinking.

Edith lead the transfers over to their bunks. My father took the Dauntless-born into the chasm.

"This year is going to be different. If you're Divergent, meet me in the fear landscape room tonight. Don't worry, I won't kill you. If you can't face your fears and keep calm, you're out. This year, the government is enforcing security. We must be cautious. I know all of you are capable of passing. But the question is, who can survive the pain?" Tobias finished.

"Go get a bunk on the third floor in the initiate bunk room. There are two separate, one for transfers and one for Dauntless-born," Shauna said, waving everyone off. I stayed back with my father as we walked to the apartment to grab my stuff.

"They're hunting down the Divergent, aren't they?" I asked my dad.

He nodded.

"I'm not Divergent. I'm just good at resisting serums," he said, "But I know how to help. You are Divergent. You are exactly who they want to kill. 100% Divergent."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Exactly what they don't want me to do," he said.

I only had one extra outfit, and that was it. I brought fresh sheets though, because I had a feeling many people had thrown up in the beds. The Dauntless-born had the option of bringing comforts from home. Most brought sheets and some extra clothes. Others brought notebooks. There were even some explosives in the room, "just in case."

"So what's your dad gonna do to the Divergent, Ace?" Jax asked me.

"Just educate them," I said flatly.

I looked around the room. Thought I knew a lot of people in Dauntless, I hardly knew any of the initiates.

Suddenly Reyna burst into the room.

"Change of plans," she said gruffly, "All the initiates train together."

She rounded up a group of Dauntless initiates and said, "You're out."

Then and there an riot grew. I heard shouts like "What!" and "How?" and even some swearing.

Tobias rushed into the room.

"Quiet!" he shouted.

A silence fell over the room.

"Divergent. Now," he said.

No one moved.

"Now!" Tobias demanded.

The Divergent moved up to the front. I slowly walked up.

"If anyone tells, you're out. And don't think I won't be able to find you," he said as he lead us out of the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Dustin asked. He was Divergent too.

"The security is here. They are going to scan you for Divergence. You need to come with me," he said as he lead us the back way out of the compound. A train was rounding the corner. We sprinted to keep up with it. We swung ourselves into the train.

I looked at the little Divergent population we had left. I was surprised to see the Erudite boy on the train as well. I counted, 5, 6, 7. Seven were left.

"Alright. You all need to listen well. They're here to find you. You need to resist the scanner. I'm here to teach you," he said as he pulled out one of the Divergent scanners.

"Get over here Ace," my father said. He didn't expose my real name. I guess I knew how he felt because he made me call him 'Four' in public.

I walked over to him, a bit nervous about being the first 'test subject.'

"Resist the pull of the scanner," he said.

He put the suction cups on my forehead and pressed the "scan" button.

I immediately felt the pull of my machine, trying to dig the information out of my brain. I resisted it as much as I could, but I wasn't strong enough. It tugged one more time, and I let go.

"100% Divergent," the female voice from the machine said.

"Damn," I muttered under my breath.

"The scanner can read any thought you've ever had about being Divergent, and it can scan your brain for Divergence. You need to be very careful," my father said.

"Let me have a go," the Erudite form earlier said.

My father raised his eyebrows at him but then beckoned for him to come to the front. He was eager to try it; just as an Erudite should be. Tobias pushed the suction cups onto his forehead. He pressed the "scan" button, and the machine came to life, exploding with colors flashing around the room. I was immediately mesmerized.

"0% Divergent," the machine said.

"Good luck being dead," he sneered at me.

"Let me go again," I said, moving to the front.

He quickly pressed the suction cups onto my forehead. The pull of the scanner was less strong this time. I resisted with all of my force. The scanner kept pulling, but I resisted, the gates into my mind sealed.

Finally, the pulling stopped.

"0% Divergent."

I sighed in relief, but immediately stifled it with my hand, afraid Max would discover me. He studied me with great curiosity.

"Next," he called.

The line of Divergent passed quickly.

Until the last one. The last Divergent was scanned.

"43% Divergent."

In one flawless motion, Max pulled out his gun, sat the boy down on his knees, and put the gun on the boys forehead. Max looked away as he pulled the trigger.

The boy let out a piercing scream as he fell to the floor. Everyone stood frozen. Max was the first to break the silence.

"Well go on! Get outta here!" Max yelled, "Tell your Divergent of this example! Tell them to run, run away!"

They've already heard, I thought as I rounded the corner.

The next morning, two of the seven were gone, not including the boy from last night. He definitely scared them, I thought. It was time for a revolution.

Everyone ate breakfast in silence while soldiers patrolled the aisles. Max appeared at the overlook above the mess.

"Dauntless," he boomed into the microphone, "I believe you have heard of the events that occurred last night. Two initiates were killed, Jared Corrgar, and Jax Dopramo."

I screamed, and so did Jax's parents. Dustin had to stuff his hand into my mouth to stifle the scream. I bit down on his hand. He started to cry, but not because I bit his hand. I cried too.

"Jared was executed because of Divergence. Jax was killed for aiding and standing up for Divergence. He even said he wanted a revolution. Both died as an example-the Divergent must be killed. Tun yourselves in and no one else will die," Max finished.

The mess burst into chaos. People yelling, people crying. I couldn't do anything. It was if I was glued to my seat. I had lost three friends in a matter of days: Sophia, Blaze, and now Jax.

I tried to look for my father. He was nowhere to be found. As people filed out of the mess, Max was still looking over us. He met my gaze, and his expression read, I'm going to take away everything from you until you break.

I nervously sat up in my chair, but immediately regained my confidence. Try me, I thought. Try me.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Along with the other initiates, I was informed that we were all training together. Most people left even if they weren't Divergent for fear of being an "example." There were only 16 of us left. 8 transfers were left because one left and one was killed. That meant 7 other Dauntless born competing beside and against me at the same time. I felt empty. First Sophia, then Blaze, and now Jax. Dustin appeared beside me.

"Hey," he said, in a calm voice.

I looked at my shoes.

"You miss 'em?" he asked.

I nodded. I tried to walk away, but he followed me. I naturally walked down to the chasm. I swung my legs over the edge.

"Sometimes I feel the urge to jump. I feel like my life is pointless. They're going to find me anyway-"

"Don't say that-" Dustin interrupted, but I cut him off.

"But they are!" I insisted, "They are and I can guarantee that we are gonners. Were gonners," I said, putting my head into my hands. I move closer to the edge, and Dustin puts his hand on my shoulder. I tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.

"No one," he said firmly, "is a gonner. Not as long as I'm around."

I rolled my eyes. He helped me to my feet. He started walking me toward the bunks, but I pulled away.

"I don't need to be babied," I muttered to him out of reach of all the prying ears. Dustin was a bit too soft for my taste.

"Fine. But don't do anything stupid," he warned.

I walked away without another word.

The rest of the night, I strategized. I looked over all of the Dauntless-born and transfer initiates. I studied their strengths and weaknesses. I know I shouldn't have thought about it, but one girl caught my eye. I felt a pang of guilt thinking of replacing Sophia. But her eyes. Her eyes were a piercing blue, like they had the power to tear you right in half. She had long, beautiful golden hair and tan skin. Her name was Piper Burton. She transferred from Abnegation, but she didn't belong in Abnegation. She was extremely confident. She was the second jumper. She wore her confidence on her sleeve, making her more appealing…

Snap out of it! I firmly told myself. I was losing my mind.

I spent the rest of the night studying the initiates, but questions flooded my head. When will I be able to see Sophia again? What am I going to do about Piper? Do I come clean about my feelings for Piper? Do I still have feelings for Sophia? The problem was, I didn't have an answer to any of them.

I slowly trudged to the mess hall in the morning. I slid into the initiate table. Everyone was silent. Except for the Erudite boy.

"Hey, Ace!" he said as he slid in the table, "I don't think I had a chance to introduce myself. My name's Charlie Hanson, Erudite transfer." He stuck out his hand and I shook it. Everyone was looking in our direction.

"Anyway, meet me in the northern room," he said, gesturing toward the library, "After breakfast."

"Sure," I said.

After breakfast, I met Charlie in the library.

"Nobody ever comes in here," I told him, "We'll be the laughing stock of Dauntless."

"No we won't. Not as long as we strategize."

"Strategize?"

"Strategy. That's the game I play. And I play it well. I have strategies for anything and everything."

I stared at him puzzled. Strategy? What does initiation have to do with strategy?  
"What does initiation have to do with strategy, you ask?"

He just read my mind.

"You see, I just used another strategy. I left you open-ended about using strategy for initiation. You were bound to ask yourself that."

"But how are you going to use strategy?" I question, yearning for information.

"Outsmart the initiates. Find out their strategies before they find ours. Use our strengths against their weaknesses. I saw you studying them last night. You seem to know them pretty well. That's why I need you on my team. If we work together, we can both get into Dauntless! What do you say?"  
"Well, your plan is very strategic…"

He laughed at the pun.

"I'm in," I said.

"Yes!" he said.

It was a clever plan. But there was one thought that lingered in my mind:

Let's hope his strategies work.

 **So I based Charlie a bit off myself. I strategize with everything. Getting homework done, sports, school, you name it. I thought it would be good to put a bit of myself in the book.**


End file.
